Habitat

• native to Pennsylvania down through Florida
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a deciduous small tree or large shrub
• multi-stemmed
• suckers
• 10' to 20' tall
• slow growth rate
• medium summer texture, coarse winter texture

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• bi-pinnately compound leaves
• 32" to 64" long
• rachis are covered in prickles
• serrated leaf margin
• dark green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• yellow-green fall color
• inconsistent

Flowers

• small, whitish flowers
• borne in foot long terminal panicles
• blooms in July
• pubescent

Fruit

• black drupe
• 0.25" long
• matures in late August
• attracts birds

Bark

• stout stems with prickles
• straw colored
• large moon shaped leaf scars
• lenticels

Culture

• easily transplanted
• prefers moist, well-drained, rich acidic
• full sun to partial shade
• urban tolerant

Landscape Uses

• specimen
• border
• for the texture

Liabilities

• no serious pest problems
• suckers and spreads
• prickles

ID Features

• conical, small buds
• bi-pinnately compound leaves
• prickles on rachis
• coarse, unbranched habit
• serrated leaf margin
• small, whitish flowers
• lenticels

Propagation

• by seed
• by division

Cultivars/Varieties

• none